The Sun Setting on the Meghna River...My Dad and Cousin in the Foreground.It is a human condition to want to transfer oneself to another life. To be someone else, to live somewhere else, to be someone we’re not…even for just a day. I believe this to be the reason why we are so infatuated with the superhero; to just switch persona in the blink of an eye. This is why we always hear ourselves, or people, often say we would love to be anywhere but here (here being our current residence or life situation). Sometimes we are given that opportunity, sometimes we’re not. Often times, that opportunity is given to us in the form of a life changing experience. All in the same, we come to the realization that life is meant to be cherished, regardless of situation or personal stature.
I truly believe that the aforementioned opportunity was given to me these last two days... Let me explain.
As many of you know, I have been in Bangladesh for the last 10 days. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Dubai and Dhaka, to see factories, see people, and meet family that previously only Facebook had the pleasure of granting. But on this day, I had the pleasure of visiting the villages in which my ancestors lived.
I’ve always wanted to get away from the world. To travel, but not in the sense of seeing other western cultures (once you’ve seen Los Angeles, Paris, and London you’ve pretty much seen all western civilization has to offer in my opinion), but to see what true working class people live through. I’ve longed for this since I could remember and visiting the village gave me this chance.
The Village I Stayed In...
The trip to the village from Dhaka was about a 120 mile drive, but since roads and over-population are such grand problems in Bangladesh, it was about a 7 hour drive. Not withstanding, the drive was one that was truly memorable. The slow de-evolution of civilization as the drive progressed was amazing; as every hour passed, I could literally see society slowly going from civilized to primitive. Bumpy roads, crossing rivers, honking horns to clear cattle and people, soul piercing gazes from the locals...all were experienced on this particular drive. In one instance, we actually had to drive through a cyclone that tore branches off of trees, cleared out homes, and flipped over trucks. To say the least, the journey to the village was just as noteworthy as the visit itself.
Where I Slept...
As we arrived to the village we were met by local villagers and distant relatives of mine. I got out of the car and felt like a celebrity, locals gazing at me as if I were on the red carpet. I did my best to be as humble as possible, saying hi to everyone, but I knew no one understood me. 
Local Kids Playing Some Footer (Soccer)...
I knew going into the trip that I was going to be going into something that I have never experienced in my life, after reaching the village, my previous expectations were far surpassed. No electricity, cattle, fields of wheat as far as the eye could see and a village with the population of no more than 10 people. The first thought to come to mind was that I was on “Survivor.” It was truly a stark comparison to what I had just witnessed a few days back in my uncles multi-billion dollar company.
Rice and Wheat Fields Ready for Cultivating...
My relatives were amazing. Although they never met me, and they were far reaching relatives, they treated me to goat meat and rootie, a special type of bread (this food was a special treat saved for special events in the village). They also showed me around the village and explained to me that the previous rain season brought more wheat than in the last 10 years, but there was a problem, they were under-manned to cultivate the grain in time for the next rain season. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to help with the effort. I must say this, harvesting grain is one of the most intensive labor jobs one can do; it is back breaking and offers almost no pay.
Later that day I fished for dinner and showered in the Meghna River. This experience brought me complete joy. For the first time in ages I was able to just hang out with my dad, school and business in the back burner. We talked, we laughed, and we even played games. 50 years from now, I know I will look back at that, and remember my dad for that certain time…
The most vivid memory of the trip was sitting under a tree, reading my book (JD Sallinger), the humid breeze crisp and delightful, watching the villagers pick the grains, all while the beautiful reddish sun set on the horizon. In one word; divine. It was as if God painted this particular picture, at this particular moment, just for me.
You see, we usually long for moments like this in our lives. It is romantic. It also helps break the monotony of everyday life. Can I safely say that it’s not for everyone? Sure. But can I also sit here and tell you that everyone should try it? Of course. Nothing will replace the memories I had on this particular trip; not Vegas, not Europe, not anything I can think of. To try and put this particular trip into summation would do it an injustice. So I’ll leave you with a picture instead:
The Sun Setting in the Meghna
No comments:
Post a Comment